Cutting back on the heating bill sucks.
It's been a while since you've felt properly warm and no matter how many layers you wear, sweater after sweater, long-sleeved shirt after long-sleeved shirt, you just can't seem to heat up. You'd considered the possibility of being ill... but alas, you feel fine.
It's more than a surprise when Q comes in from a long day of filming, plonks on the floor in front of the electric fire and flips it on. Your gut reaction is to scowl at him for you've braved lecture after lecture about 'saving money' where possible. Words catch on your tongue as he draws nearer, raises shaking hands to bask in the heat of the fire, his teeth grit together and his brow furrowed impatiently.
"What happened?" you ask. You know the signs by now, it isn't too much to assume that he's wound up about something. The man huffs, nudges so close to the artificial fire that you fear it's going to start scalding if he isn't more careful.
"Punishment." Brian doesn't elaborate, just sucks in a sharp breath and waits for relief to come in the form of flooding heat. By the time a few minutes have passed, he's stopped shaking (to which you yourself feel an amount of joy) and you slither to the floor to sit next to him, nudging your head against his shoulder. He raises a hand, rests it on your head and pets you– before he seems to catch himself and begins to stroke through your hair instead; so used to his cats, you can often see the humour in him mixing the two things he loves most.
"Warmed up?" you mumble, eyes closed as you happily bask in his affection. Q chuckles warmly, pulls you back to lay with him on the carpet as his feet raise to settle on the metal hood that is releasing the heat, toes curling around it and sighing in bliss when he feels the soles of his feet beginning to warm up. Resting your head on his shoulder, you curl into him and kiss his cheek affectionately, smiling as he leads you in closer whilst you put your feet next to his.
Q nods. "Yeah. You always get me heated up."
You scoff, nudging him with your elbow. "Shut up."
But the first time in a while, you're warm too. And it's more than about time.